Egg handling and conveying apparatus



Sept- 26, 19 4- E. s. SCHNEIDER EGG HANDLING AND CONVEYING APPARATUSFiled Dec. 23, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 26, 194 E. s. SCHNEIDER EGGHANDLING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 23, 1943 1I H M 7 m f g i atenteci apt. 26, 1944 EGG HANDLING AND CONVEYINGAPPARATUS Edward S. Schneider, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 23, 1943, Serial No.

Claims. (Cl. 146-2) This invention relates to improvements in egghandling equipment and particularly to a novel conveyor type eggbreaking table.

It is an object of my invention to provide a compact unitary structurein the form of a table or work bench, which may be of any desirable ornecessary length. and which is adapted to accommodate egg breakingoperators in close proximity to each other and on both sides of thebench, the table being provided with necessary shelves and platforms forthe accommodation of each operators implements such as breaker knives,trays, cups and buckets, the table being additionally provided with arelatively elongated, intermedi adjacent egg candling 'room, supply ofeggs.

Another object 01 my invention relates to the novel arrangement, thereturn belt reservoir for any temporary oversupply on the main belt dueeither to too large a supply furnished by the candlers, or temporarystoppage of work by an operator, and takes care of any eggs that maynormally be left on the belt after it passes the last operator withoutrequirement for manual removal, the eggs on the return belt being fullyas accessible to the operators as those on the main belt.

Another object relates to the incorporation in my conveyor type eggbreaking table of a screw conveyor adjacent the base thereof forcarrying away egg shells, the conveyor being provided with a pluralityof chute entrances, one extending from adjacent each operator's station,so as to additionally provide a compact construction rearrangementconducive to enhanced efficiency and economy.

Other objects and advantages relate to further details of constructionand arrangement of parts which will be apparent from a consideration ofthe following specification and diagrammatic drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my novel conveyor type egg breaking table,partly in section.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-4 01' Figure l, withcertain portion in full and others broken away for clarity ofillustration.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged end elevation viewed on the line 5-5of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral i0 indicates a dividingwall separating the egg candling room and the egg breaking room, themain carrier belt i l passing through an opening l2 therein on itsconveying run, and through the opening i3 on its return run.

The apparatus of my invention comprises a candling section having atake-up pulley stand generally indicated as it one end, an egg supplyorwork bench 15 supported by the stand at one end and by suitablestandards is at the opposed end. Supported above the work bench l5 andintermediate the width thereof so as to accommodate candlers on bothsides, is one end portion of the main conveyor trough defined by a pairof horizontal, parallel spaced angle bars I1, I! for seating andsupporting the main carrier supported thereby, is the candling lamprack, generally indicated as l8, comprising a plurality of candlinglamps l9. It will be understood that the illustration is largelydiagrammatic, and thus a plurality of supporting legs I8 may be employeddepending on the desired length of the candling room section as a whole,that suitable longitudinal and transverse be and are employed, althoughnot illustrated, and that the length of the table l5, rack I8 and numberof lamps I!) may be varied to suit capacity requirements.

Thus in operation of the candling section, the candlers are providedwith a supply of eggs on the table i5, candle them immediatelythereabove at the lamps l9, and if satisfactory, place them on carrierbelt H immediately below the lamps, with a minimum of motion. Asindicated, the trough carrying belt II is positioned above andintermediate the sides of table l5, so that candlers may operateeffectively on both sides of the belt ii. The egg laden belt then moveson through opening l2 to the breaking room, which will be hereinaftermore fully described. On its return run to the candling room the belt II is supported by means of a suitable trough 20, and passes over roll 2|and is carried by means of roll 22 through a suitable sterilizing bathor ohlorinating pan ll to cleanse the belt, after which the belt risesvertically between the squeeze rolls II and then returns to theinception of its horizontal conveying run over the take-up pulley 28.

The egg breaking section of my apparatus, which it will be understood islargely diagrammatically illustrated, ma be of any desired length,depending upon desired capacity. and extends from the dividing wall IIIto the drive mechanism stand generally indicated as 32. This sectioncomprises a sub-structure composed of a plurality of supportingstandards 26, transverse frame members 21 and 28 and a pair of elongatedlongitudinally extending aprons or work benches 29, which extend fromthe wall ll to the stand 32. The work benches 28 may comprise addedstructural support members and rest on the standards 26 and outerextensions of the members 28 and may be additionally secured at theirinner longitudinal edges to the vertical risers 30. These verticalrisers 30 comprise a portion of the superstructure which rises above theaprons 28 from the transverse members I1 and inwardly of the standards28, and are secured at their uppermost ends by the transverse tiemembers 3|.

Supported on and secured to the tie members SI and extendinglongitudinally of the cracking section are a pair of troughs, one forsupporting the main conveyor belt H in its forward operative passage,and the other for supporting the return belt 33 in its forward operativepassage. The troughs are defined by an intermediate inverted T member 34which provides a common divider wall and support for both belts, anangle bar 35 which is endwise joined to the angle bar ll of the candlingsection and therewith forms a continuous outer edge support for the mainbelt I I and lateral confinement for eggs conveyed thereon, and an anglebar 38 which forms an outer edge support for the return belt I! andlateral confinement for eggs recirculated thereon. Positioned parallelto and below the said troughs are similar troughs for supporting thebelts Ii and 33 on their return runs formed by the angle bars 31 and 38and intermediate inverted T bar 39.

The main conveyor belt H in its forward passage after being brought intohorizontal position over the roll or take-up pulley 26, as previouslydescribed in the candling section, moves on the' trough members l1, l1through opening I! in wall l0, and continues to move between the troughforming members 34 and 35 to pass over the driven pulley 40, after whichit is guided in its return passage by means of the rolls ll, 42 and 43to the roll 2! as previously described, to complete its movement.

The pulley 40 which is keyed to shaft 44 journaled in bearings supportedon the stand 32 is driven through the motor 45, its connected speedreducer 46, and the sprocket chain 41 extending from the latter aboutthe sprocket wheel 48 on the end of shaft 44, so as to move the mainconveyor belt in its forward conveying run in a direction from thecandling section to the cracking section.

The return belt 33. as best illustrated in Figure 3, is trained aboutthe take-up pulley or roll 49 adjacent the wall it end portion of thecrackin section, and at the opposed end is trained about the idlerpulley 50 loosely mounted on shaft 44, and about the driven pulley Thedriven stand 8! parallel to shaft II, and is driven through the meshinggears II and II on the ends of shafts 44 and II respectively, so as todrive the return belt II in a direction opposite to the direction ofmovement or main belt I l. I! in its passage about roll ll may be causedto be sterilized by means of a chlorinating or the like solution in thepan Bl, excess solution being thereafter removed by the squeeze rolls IIin the upward vertical pass of the belt from driven pulley II to idlerpulley I. The return belt I is guided in its return run, from pulley topulley Ii, by means of the roll 81. loosely mounted on shaft ll withroll it, and roll ll loosely mounted on shaft II with roll ll.

As indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, the main conveyor belt H isdriven in a direction from the candling section to the cracking section,and the relatively shorter return belt ll in the opposed direction. Anarcuate bafll U extends across the main belt trough adjacent terminus ofthe forward run of belt ll whereby eggs remaining thereon, as a result01'- excess supply or for any other reason, will be shifted or shuntedonto the return belt}! through the adjacent opening 62 in theintermediate or common trough defining wall 34. The eggs thus p aced onreturn.

belt 33 will be conveyed thereby the length of the cracking section. andif any remain thereon at the end of its opposite forward run they areinturn recirculated in a similar manner onto main belt H, through theopening it in the common trough wall II, by means of the arcuate ostands 85.

baffle 84 extending above and across the path of the return belt I3.

Extending laterally of both the trough walls 35 and I6 and spaced atintervals so as to conveniently provide a working station for an eggbreaking operator are a plurality of breaking tray Thus operators maywork on both sidesof the two conveyor belts with eggs thereby suppliedto them within easy reach, and may conveniently carry out the eggbreaking operation by means of conventional knives, separators andpro-collection c'ups supported on the tray stands 85, the fluid eggs oregg parts to be preserved being then emptied into containers supportedon the work benches 29 within like easy reach below. I

Disposal of cracked egg shells may also be quickly and convenientlycarried out and promptly carried away from the cracking table by meansof the shell disposal chutes 66 between and adiacent each breakingimplement tray stand II with a minimum of motion by the operator. Thesechutes I! each extend and open to a common trough I! secured to theframe transverse members 21 to extend longitudinally of the crackingtable section. A suitable screw conveyor 88 is positioned within thetrough 81 and is driven by suitable means such as the belt 68 extendingfrom the motor and gear reducer generally indi- The belt cated as 10, todischarge the cracked shells, which may be additionally crushed by thescrew conveyor means to discharge them at the lateralpulley ii is keyedto the shaft 52 supp rted on terconnecting and extending longitudinallyof the class described cracking table section and said candling and saidcracking tables, parallel egg recirculation conveyor means on said eggcracking table in communication adjacent its ends with said mainconveyor means, screw conveyor shell disposal means extendinglongitudinally of the cracking table below said egg conveyor means, anda'plurality of shell disposal chutes extending thereto from adjacentsaid main and recirculation conveyor means.

2. Egg conveying and handling apparatus of the class describedcomprising an egg candling table section, an egg cracking table section,an elongated horizontal trough extending longitudinally of said tablesections, a main conveyor belt in said elongated trough, means formoving said conveyor belt in a direction from said egg candling to saidegg cracking table section, a

second relatively short trough on said egg cracking tablesectioncontiguous with and extending parallel to said elongated trough, areturn belt in said shorter trough, means for moving said re.- turn beltin the direction opposite to that of the main conveyorbelt, a battleextending transversely of said elongated trough adjacent its crackingtable terminus whereby eggs remaining on the main conveyor belt at theend of its forward passage will be shunted onto said return belt throughan opening provided thereat in the contiguous walls ofsaid troughs, anda bafile extending transversely of said shorter trough adjacent itsopposed en'd whereby eggs remaining on said return belt at the end ofits forward passage will shunted onto said main conveyor belt through vbe asecond longitudinally spaced opening provided thereat in thecontiguous walls of said troughs.

3. Egg conveying and handling apparatus of comprising an egg candlingtableincluding candling lamps supported thereon, an adjoining eggcracking table, an elongated horizontal trough extending longitudinallyof and interconnecting said tables, a main conveyor belt in saidelongated trough, means for moving said conveyor belt in a directionfrom said egg candling to said egg cracking table, a second relativelyshort trough on said egg' cracking table extending parallel to saidelongated trough and having'a defining wall common therewith, a returnbelt in said shorter trough, means for moving said return belt in thedirection opposite to that of the main conveyor belt, an arcuate baiileextending transversely of said elongated trough adjacent its crackingtable terminus whereby eggs remaining on the main conveyor belt at theend of its forward passage will be shunted onto said return belt throughan opening provided thereat in the common wall baiiie extendingtransversely of said shorter trough adjacent its remaining on saidreturnbelt at the end of its forward passage will be shunted onto said mainconveyor belt through a second longitudinally spaced opening providedthereat in the common wall of said troughs, a plurality oflongitudinally spaced egg breaking implement tray stands extendinglaterally of both of said troughs in said an elongated shelf extendinglongitudinally of each side of the cracking table and below said traystands.

4. Egg conveying and handling apparatus of opposed end whereby eggs ofsaid troughs, an arcuate the class described comprising an egg candlingtable, an endwise adjacent egg cracking table, an elongated horizontaltrough extending over both of said tables, an endless main conveyor beltsupported in said elongated trough in its forward operative passage,means for moving said conveyor belt in a direction from said eggcandling to said egg cracking table in said trough and for returning ittherebelow, a second relatively short trough on the cracking tableextending parallel to the elongated trough and having a lateral definingwall common therewith, an endless return belt supported in said shorttrough on its forward passage, means for moving said return belt in itstrough in the direction opposite to that of the main conveyor belt andfor returning it therebelow, an arcuate bafiie extending transversely ofsaid elongated trough adjacent its cracking table terminus whereby eggsremaining on the main conveyor belt at the end of its forward passagewill be shunted onto said return belt through an opening providedthereat in the common wall of said troughs, an arcuate baffle extendingtransversely of said shorter trough adjacent its opposed end wherebyeggs remaining on said return belt at the end of its forward passagewill be shunted onto said main conveyor belt through a secondlongitudinally spaced opening provided thereat in the common wall ofsaid troughs, and means interposed in the return paths of said belts forsubjecting them to liquid cleansing,

5. Egg conveying and handling apparatus of the class describedcomprising an egg candling table, an egg cracking table, an elongatedhoriin said elongated trough, conveyor belt in said trough in adirection from said egg candling to said eggv cracking table, a secondrelatively short trough on said egg cracking table contiguous with andextending parallel of said troughs, cuate baflle extending transverselyof said shorter trough adjacent its opposed end whereby eggs remainingon said return belt at the end of its forward passage will be shuntedonto said main conveyor belt through a second longitudinally spacedopening provided thereat in the contiguous walls of said troughs, aplurality of longitudinally spaced egg breaking implement tray standsextending laterally of both or said troughs on said cracking table,cracked shell receiving chutes opening to and interposed between saidtrays and inclining therefrom and opening therebelow to a common troughextending longitudinally'cf the cracking table, means within said commontrough for continuously moving cracked shells therethrough.

EDWARD S. SCHNEIDER.

